Beyond Just Bricks: Unleashing Potential with Lego Serious Play

Imagine a workspace filled with the colorful, familiar shapes of Lego bricks. Now, imagine these aren't just for play, but powerful tools for learning, communication, and problem-solving. This is the world of Lego Serious Play, a methodology that harnesses the power of play to unlock creativity, foster collaboration, and solve complex problems in corporate settings. Lego Serious Play has evolved into a widely used tool in workshops and team-building sessions across various industries. It's not just about building models; it's about constructing ideas, sharing stories, and building a deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing teams and organizations.

In this episode of Bring Out the Talent, we are joined by Lynn Turner, a Lego Serious Play facilitator, who will share insights and experiences from her journey in bringing this innovative approach to organizations. Whether you're a skeptic of unconventional learning methods or a believer in the power of play, today's episode is bound to offer you some valuable insights.

So, tune in and explore how Lego Serious Play is more than just play, it's a serious tool for learning, development, and transformation in the adult world.

Transcript

DAVID (SPEAKER_01):
0:00 Bring out the talent. Bring out the talent.

DAVID:
0:03 Bring out the talent. Welcome to Bring Out the Talent, a podcast featuring learning and development experts discussing innovative approaches and industry insights. Tune in to hear our talent help develop yours. Now here are your hosts, TTA's CEO and President Maria Melfa and Talent Manager Jocelyn Allen.

JOCELYN ALLEN (SPEAKER_04):
0:23 I know we keep on talking about our guest dance moves or our dance moves and our audience might be sick of it, but let me tell you, Lynn is definitely our best dancer that we've ever had. Like the one to beat. Podium performer. Yes, she's still going. I love it. This is why we need to put the recordings out there—not for what we're actually talking about, but just the beginning, so that people can see. I mean, it is a travesty that these moves are not available out there for people to see. Like that—that's all I'm getting at. Absolutely utter travesty. And it's funny because I remember Lynn Moore—and this is pretty sad—from our last podcast. I don't remember what we spoke about, it was something about leadership, I'm sorry to say, that's part of my dementia, but I do remember your dance moves. And now you just like took it up to another level.

LYNN TURNER (SPEAKER_02):
1:20 I've been...

JOCELYN:
1:22 ...practicing. Once we invited her back, she was like, “I have got to brush up on cutting a rug.” Priority number one. Absolutely. And what a fun topic we're talking about. You have no idea how excited I am about this one—conceptually, like using play in the workplace. Like, I mean, Maria, let's just get to the intro. I cannot wait.

JOCELYN:
1:47 I know because we have Jenga here. We are now, but we need new toys.

JOCELYN:
1:51 We do need new toys. Okay. Can you imagine a workspace filled with colorful, familiar shapes of LEGO bricks? Now imagine these aren't just for play, but powerful tools for learning, communication, and even problem solving. This is the world of LEGO Serious Play, which I knew nothing about until recently.

JOCELYN:
2:14 It's a methodology that harnesses the power of play to unlock creativity, foster collaboration, solve complex problems in corporate settings. Originally developed by the LEGO Group, LEGO Serious Play has evolved into a widely used tool in workshops and team building sessions across various industries.

JOCELYN:
2:33 It's not just about building blocks or building models. It's about constructing ideas, sharing stories, and building a deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities that often face teams and organizations. So we are here today to see how does playing with LEGOs translate into serious learning and development outcomes for adults?

JOCELYN:
2:55 To answer these questions and more, we are joined by our longtime partner, friend, consultant, Lynn Turner, who's also a fellow Massachusetts resident and a LEGO Serious Play facilitator who will share insights and experiences from her journey and bringing this innovative approach to organizations for the last 73 years. Every time. It’s like the last 2,608 years. Actually a good question—when was LEGOs invented? But that's something we could look that up.

JOCELYN:
3:23 Whether you're a skeptic of unconventional learning methods... I kind of slurred on that one from my mushroom coffee. Whether you're a skeptic of unconventional learning methods or a believer in the power of play, today's episode is bound to offer you some valuable insights. So let's get started. Welcome, Lynn. Thank you for coming back.

LYNN:
4:05 Yes, thank you. I'm happy to be here on this snowy gray day.

JOCELYN:
4:10 Yeah, I know the grayness is what gets me. I like the snow—it looks very pretty—but boy, it’d be dreary out there. But luckily for us, it's not on the podcast. We are talking about LEGO Serious Play and we are energized and ready to go. Like, this is something that—I can speak for my generation—would die to have in like our work life, just to kind of apply something like this to everyday learning and developing whatever it is that you're developing. I mean, like, I can't even—I can't even talk about it. I need to know more. Tell us: What is LEGO Serious Play? How did you get into it? And like, why should people be as jazzed as I am about it right now?

LYNN TURNER (SPEAKER_02):
4:57 Absolutely. Absolutely, absolutely. Well, as you talked about, LEGO Serious Play is a facilitated meeting, communication, and problem-solving methodology. And it's based on research and experimentation on finding new ways to face challenges. It's a tool to facilitate thought that, through play, encourages creativity and innovation, engaging people, helping them to discover and learn, and inviting them to actually think with their hands.

LYNN:
5:25 So the context of play allows us to unleash our creativity because it's based on creative imagination and metaphors where participants are led through a series of questions which go deeper and deeper. So each participant builds their own three-dimensional model, LEGO model, in response to the questions using specially selected LEGO bricks. And the methodology is helpful to imagine, discover, and design opportunities, especially in today's age of transformation.

LYNN:
5:55 You asked the question how I got involved. So interestingly, I'm a people analyst, which basically just means I utilize a lot of different assessments for people analysis, such as DISC. People are familiar with DISC and driving forces for motivators. So I had been utilizing LEGOs within my facilitations as a way to demonstrate communication breakdowns in real time for participants. It was a fun way for participants to watch these barriers actually play out as they played with them.

LYNN:
6:24 I actually had no idea there was a specific methodology until a colleague shared the information. So it really became a no-brainer for me to go and get certified, as I like to create memorable experiences.

JOCELYN ALLEN (SPEAKER_04):
6:52 I love that. Well, in the interim, I looked up—LEGOs were invented in 1932 by Ole Kirk Christiansen, who was a Danish architect gentleman. And it stands for "Play Well." Hey, look at that. Full circle moment right there, if I've ever heard one.

JOCELYN:
7:06 Very cool. I mean, do you know anybody in your life who hasn't picked up or stepped on a LEGO before, right? Like it is a foundation in our culture for playtime and what we now know to be learning. Because it's also one of those tools that you give to a kid who's old enough to use them, and it develops so much of their dexterity and their free play, making something out of nothing type of process that we all need to have as adults moving forward—taking what you have and making it into something.

JOCELYN:
7:35 So how does it work? Like what's the approach to adult learning and development? How does it work in the everyday organization?

LYNN:
8:03 Yeah. So it really helps with development, especially from what you mentioned, Jocelyn. It's based on research, and that research is really around the hand-to-brain connection. Seventy-five percent of our brain cells are connected to our hands. So it really sparks creativity and imagination for individuals.

LYNN:
8:21 And play is something that we just don't associate with work a lot of times, but it's the way to really become innovative for organizations and really help people to think and understand differently. That’s one of the things with LEGO Serious Play—you are using metaphors really through what you're building, and that helps to create deeper meaning and understanding for both the individual creating it as well as those that are looking and understanding the models.

LYNN:
8:50 Hopefully that explained it to you.

JOCELYN:
9:16 How did you find yourself getting involved in this? When did you first hear about it? And what did you need to do in order to become a facilitator?

LYNN:
9:25 Yeah, so like I said earlier, I was already using LEGOs within my facilitations, more so around communication. And then I want to say it was 2016 or 2017—it was around the time that I started exploring it more. Somebody had brought it to my attention, and I realized that there was actually an intensive training for it.

LYNN:
9:44 So I think it was around 2016 where I went through the intensive, which was four—not just full—days. I mean, we were there from nine, and in fact, one of the sessions, they wouldn't let us go until we completed certain activities. So you do immerse yourself in the process. It’s not that they're just doing a presentation to you. You are getting fully immersed in it. So it was actually a very, very interesting process.

JOCELYN ALLEN (SPEAKER_04):
10:26 So this is obviously a very fascinating topic. I'm intrigued on so many levels—the fact that it exists, the fact that you can become a facilitator. How does it work on a day to day? So I guess that’s kind of my next question: What is a typical scenario or session on LEGO Serious Play look like? How do you facilitate it, and what could somebody expect walking into a room knowing that they're about to have a LEGO Serious Play training?

LYNN TURNER (SPEAKER_02):
11:07 Sure, sure. Yeah, great question. Typically, there's a little bit of prep work that's involved with working with the client to make sure that the session is successful. So when working with a company, I try to go in and identify their specific objectives so we can make sure to set the session up for success by allowing, one, enough time and, two, creating the proper prompts.

LYNN:
11:29 Depending on the client's budget, they also have the option to purchase the specific starter kits used for LEGO Serious Play. So there are specific kits that are utilized. However, I've been doing this long enough that I've got plenty of LEGOs in case they can't afford to—or don’t want to—spend the money on the LEGO Serious Play kits. However, people love having their own set to take home after the session.

LYNN:
11:53 So once all that’s identified, walking into the session, it’s typically broken into certain segments to, one, help bring everyone along, since not everyone is proficient in LEGOs. And it's been a while since many have possibly had the opportunity to play with their LEGOs, especially in today's fast-paced world.

LYNN:
12:10 So I start off with a brief introduction of the LEGO Serious Play methodology, sharing some of the science and research, and then jump right into LEGO warmups. So an initial warmup might involve having everyone build a tower. And after a few minutes, I ask participants to talk about their tower, why they built it the way they built it. And I have people look around the room—and I have never experienced anyone build the same tower.

LYNN:
12:34 And that's part of the reason—we're really trying to emphasize diversity of thought, which is what organizations need for creative problem-solving and in creating strategies. So as a way to help participants understand how different LEGO bricks work together, I will then ask them to build a model from the instruction book within their starter kit.

LYNN:
12:52 And depending on the time and the objective of the session, I may ask participants to modify the model that they've built, to tell maybe a story of why they joined the organization. So it's a great opportunity for people to get a chance to learn more about each other.

LYNN:
13:06 So after we've done some of those types of warmups, we then provide them with a prompt to build a model related to the topic of the session. Visioning is a great use for LEGO Serious Play. So I may—if we are going down visioning, if that's the objective—I may ask the group to build a model to tell a story about their aspirational identity of their team, their division, their organization.

LYNN:
13:28 What would it look like? What would it feel like? What are the elements that it would consist of? And once they complete their model, each person must share what they built. So I'll ask them specific questions related to why they may have chosen certain sizes or color bricks. And others in the group can also ask them questions about each other's models.

LYNN:
13:48 This process helps get a deeper understanding, and one of the key things with LEGO Serious Play—you get 100% participation because everyone builds a model and everyone has to speak about it, unlike traditional facilitation where everyone may not be as fully engaged. In typical traditional facilitations, it’s kind of that 80/20 rule—80% of the meeting is taken up by 20% of the participants.

LYNN:
14:11 So that's one of the beauties of LEGO Serious Play. Then to continue this process and help the group create a shared vision, I will then ask each person to, what we call, red brick—identify one item on their model that they cannot live without. So once identified, I have them break off that piece from their model that they cannot live without.

LYNN:
14:32 And I will ask the group to build a shared model from all those pieces that tells a story about their collective vision. It’s actually a really cool collaborative and inclusive process to hear from everyone, getting them involved in building their vision and crafting a strategy for the team and the organization.

LYNN:
14:51 So that's kind of a typical process of facilitation.

JOCELYN ALLEN (SPEAKER_04):
16:01 That's fascinating. In so many years—I know we were talking to our friends at the Training Industry yesterday, and they just did a survey that went out to hundreds of people. And one of the biggest challenges, as we hear all the time, is just the lack of engagement.

MARIA MELFA (SPEAKER_03):
16:10 Participation.

JOCELYN:
16:11 Yeah, participation. So as you're saying, 100% engagement. And just—I know you mentioned like the diversity of thought, which is really interesting—the ability to bring in creative thinking, just the critical thinking, learning how to work together, even people that learn in very different ways.

JOCELYN:
16:29 I probably mentioned this last time we were talking, but my daughter has dyslexia. And she is a very creative girl. And she still—she's 18—she loves LEGOs. We actually got her some—they now have those really interesting LEGO sets, like a bonsai tree, and it's like lily plants, some of these complex ones. She was actually building it a couple nights ago. So you could see how this just really gets people engaged, and you can just bring in so many different types of learners.

LYNN TURNER (SPEAKER_02):
17:13 That’s key, what you’re talking about. So we do find it is really appealing to neurodiversity—people with neurodiversity—and individuals that just are a little more introverted. That way, it really gets them engaged in the process.

JOCELYN:
17:32 That's very, very cool. See, it's funny because I am the opposite—where I am horrible at directions and I am horrible—like, I've never been good at LEGOs themself. I could like draw, sketch a little bit, but I've never been good at following directions on how to make LEGOs.

JOCELYN:
17:48 So it's interesting the way my mind works. But this activity sounds really cool that you have the freedom to build whatever you want to do. I love that. I agree with that statement too, Maria, almost about like how it used to feel with LEGOs, because I agree.

JOCELYN:
18:03 Like if I was looking at LEGOs from when I was growing up and it was like, “Oh, build this castle.” Okay, cool. Like, it didn't like jazz me up. The LEGO sets that they have out now where I can build a succulent garden as a centerpiece for my table...

MARIA:
18:30 Yeah.

JOCELYN:
18:31 Like, where was that? Because that’s something I can get down with. And like, maybe—but maybe it's something like that where I'm terrible at following directions with LEGOs. Maybe it was that you needed a succulent and all they had was a castle.

JOCELYN:
18:44 Like, it's just—I think of LEGOs as being so inclusive for that reason, that back then, it was a way for any child to be able to play in some manner. Because did you have to follow the directions? No. But would you mess around for a little bit? Probably.

JOCELYN:
18:55 Right now it’s a completely different gameplay between all of the offerings that they have, for things that you can build and the types of people that may gravitate towards it for whatever reason—including learning in the corporate space. It's like—it is fascinating to me that there are companies like this that exist that, within their own right, can expand how inclusive they are by saying, “Well, did you know that this is great for the brain?” So why not put the brain in the professional space and do it?

JOCELYN:
19:22 Like it's so stinking cool. It's so cool. It really makes sense. So what are some of the most common outcomes you've observed in groups after doing these sessions?

LYNN:
19:48 Yeah, so it is really interesting. In one group—and this was a construction company—the exercise was done around core values. So safety was one of the core values that came up for the entire group. However, once we asked deeper questions on some of the models, safety had different meanings.

LYNN:
20:07 While most did talk about physical safety—which obviously makes sense for a construction company—they also talked about psychological safety, that safety in sharing things in meetings. Sometimes in traditional meetings, we make assumptions that our words have the same meaning. LEGO Serious Play helps to identify distinctions and differentiations of meaning.

LYNN:
20:28 So just because somebody uses the word “safety” doesn't mean we all see it the same way. In another session, a few people had subconsciously chosen certain bricks without even realizing it. So one individual was talking about values and had these large clear bricks at the base of their model, and then realized as they were talking about it that transparency was foundational to them. That actually became one of their core values.

LYNN:
20:52 Another one created these random patterns within their model and someone they worked closely with—when I asked about all the different patterns—they said, “Oh, I don't know. It didn't really mean anything.” But the person sitting next to them that worked with them very closely said they felt it represented the complexity of what was happening for their coworker at that time.

LYNN:
21:10 So it's a really great tool for bringing teams together and creating alignment while having fun. I'm so excited about this.

JOCELYN ALLEN (SPEAKER_04):
21:48 It's funny—I have to—so there was... Do you remember when we were going through the skills that were in our platform for people to select from? So we were going through kind of like an overhaul with our talent network and saying, “Okay, what are the skills that people are identifying themselves as having? How many of these are repeats because of capitalization?” Right? Like just doing an overall cleanup and making it systematic because there’s an option to select and an option to add.

JOCELYN:
22:13 And I came across LEGO Serious Play. Now, I know it was you because it connected back to your profile, but I was like, “What is this?” I was like, “Was this a mistake?” Like, I don’t under— and then I looked it up and I was like, “Oh no, this isn't a mistake at all. This is like a real thing that we definitely need to talk about.”

JOCELYN:
22:29 It just—it came—I just feel like it came out of nowhere. And I think it’s the coolest—I think that strategies for learning that are different from everything else are like—that’s how I want to learn. Show me something different. And this is that. And everything that you’ve said—from engagement to learning to teamwork and collaboration—it’s kind of like duh when you think about it from the LEGO building perspective.

JOCELYN:
22:53 How do you—like, what are some of the challenges that you face as a facilitator? Do you—like, I mean, do people get as excited as Maria and I? Is there ever pushback? Like, what’s the deal?

LYNN TURNER (SPEAKER_02):
23:14 Yeah. Well, and it's interesting too, what you just brought up, Jocelyn, because some individuals—it’s all about business results, right? And how can you get to business results... by having fun? The two just don't seem to go together for some individuals. So it is about helping them to understand that you'll actually get better results through this process than you would actually think.

LYNN:
23:40 And it will happen quicker, because it is about—I think sometimes the way we go about it in a traditional sense—we put so much stress and pressure that we're not getting creative. We're not bringing that out in people.

LYNN:
23:53 But with regards to one of the biggest challenges, I'd have to say, for me as a facilitator, it really comes down to time. It is making sure to designate enough time for participants to build and then to share what they built, because that’s really important. Where the connections and the meanings come from is through that sharing—when people can dig a little bit deeper into the models that they’ve built.

LYNN:
24:20 And as we know, getting organizations sometimes to invest in the time for this type of process can be difficult, especially if they’ve never experienced it. Because they can’t make the connection between business results and having fun. Those don’t seem to connect for them.

LYNN:
24:37 However, after they have invested in this type of process—getting everyone together for this fun experience—it does spark creativity within the group, and it does get to those deeper discussions. And it does help to create connections for team members, as models tell a story. And people connect with stories.

LYNN:
24:56 So the biggest challenge, honestly, is really the time.

JOCELYN:
25:17 How do you handle it in a remote environment? Do you just send people a package of LEGOs? How does that work?

LYNN:
25:27 Yeah, so I really haven't. It's really so interesting because I gotta tell you, I remember March 5th, 2020. That was one of my last LEGO Serious Play in-person facilitations. And then what, a couple of weeks later? The world shut down.

LYNN:
25:44 And I couldn't even talk about this methodology with anyone. No one was interested. Oh my gosh, touch stuff and share with people? Oh my gosh, no way. Forget about it.

LYNN:
25:55 And honestly, it’s just started picking up for me probably about a year and a half ago—since the pandemic. And now people are re-engaged with it as a way to make those connections with their teams, especially after being separated for so long through the pandemic.

LYNN:
26:11 So as far as doing it virtually, what actually ended up happening for me—because LEGO Serious Play during pandemic was kind of out of the question for a lot of people—during that time I ended up getting certified in virtual collaboration, which incorporates some of the LEGO Serious Play philosophies of building upon each other's ideas and also being able to do it synchronously as well as asynchronously.

LYNN:
26:36 So it’s the same philosophies, but it really wasn’t necessarily with LEGO. 27:05 So we're talking about all the incredible benefits of offering this type of training. What do you see the impact it has on team dynamics, communication, and problem solving?

LYNN TURNER (SPEAKER_02):
27:21 Sure. Yeah. LEGO Serious Play is a really different and innovative approach. One—for one thing—it takes the personal out of it. Because when you're doing LEGO Serious Play, you refer only to the model. You are not supposed to make eye contact, which is something that we typically do in traditional facilitations, right? We're supposed to make eye contact with people.

LYNN:
27:43 But in LEGO Serious Play, we get away from that. We want everyone to concentrate on the model, which is interesting because what they also found is certain cultures had an easier time with that—especially compared to American culture. So a lot of the Asian countries did better with this because of their culture. They typically don’t make eye contact in certain situations. So that was one thing.

LYNN:
28:06 And because of the hand-to-brain connection, participants tend to get more creative. So it is a great tool for problem solving. And as I shared, it helps with better understanding of meaning and making connections. Because now you have a tangible of that model to discuss—sometimes these intangibles, such as vision, such as core values, such as certain strategies.

LYNN:
28:32 Now you're making the intangible tangible. And therefore, it creates a really memorable experience. In fact, some individuals keep their models intact so that they can refer back to them for future meetings and have discussions about them.

LYNN:
28:47 I remember doing one session—this one actually ended up, it wasn’t with an organization, it was more of a public session—and we were associating it with emotional intelligence and EQ and how to develop those muscles. But I remember this one gentleman in particular, he had just recently gotten laid off. He was a CFO, and it wasn’t anticipated. He just didn’t anticipate this.

LYNN:
29:11 But I had him do a model of his current identity. And then I had him do a model of his future identity. And then he had to kind of bridge the two. But what ended up happening is—literally the next day—he had an interview, and he used those models to tell his story. And he ended up getting the job.

LYNN:
29:31 And he still has them on his shelf—both of the models—because of the power that it gave him. It was kind of transformational for him.

JOCELYN:
30:12 What a great story.

LYNN:
30:14 Yeah, I remember the model because one of the models—it almost looked like an alligator. It had like these jaws that hinge. And when I asked him to modify the model to represent his current identity, he put a head in the jaws. And that was the pressure he was feeling that he was under from being laid off.

LYNN:
30:32 So it was just—I mean, I still remember it. And that was a couple of years ago.

JOCELYN:
30:42 Transformational for both of you, right?

LYNN:
30:44 Yeah, exactly. Yeah. And he still has the job and he's loving it.

JOCELYN:
30:50 Great layers to this methodology. It really is. It reminds me of—my sister is a child psychologist, and I know you have the little kids go in and draw pictures, right? And then you analyze it—but it’s doing it from the adult perspective.

LYNN:
31:08 What's funny that you bring that up—because after I went through the intensive training, I had this little bag of LEGOs that I—and I still have it in my briefcase, I carry it around. And I asked one client, a coaching client, I said, “Do you mind if I like play with the LEGOs while you talk about your situation?”

LYNN:
31:27 So as he talked about his situation, I was putting together the LEGOs in a way to represent what he was talking about. And I said, “Based on what you’re saying, here’s what I’m hearing.” And he looked at it and he took it and he said, “Yes. However,” he’s like, “I would put this piece here like this and turn this like this.”

LYNN:
31:46 So he totally got engaged in the process, and we were able to help him move from where he was to where he wanted to be through the use of the LEGOs.

JOCELYN ALLEN (SPEAKER_04):
32:00 That's so powerful. Do you see as significant of breakthroughs in other training deliveries that you’ve done? Or is there something about LEGO Serious Play that creates something different than everything else?

LYNN TURNER (SPEAKER_02):
32:20 I really love the LEGO Serious Play because it is an experience. And you’re getting everyone’s involvement. You’re getting that 100% participation. And the best part, I think, is when we have enough time. So we start out having people create individual models, right? Based on whatever the specific topic is.

LYNN:
32:42 But if we can get them to build a shared model, that becomes really powerful because now they all feel that they had a say in it—especially when it comes to, I keep going back to visioning, because people want to be part of something, and they want to be heard, especially right now. So it is really valuable, and it can be transformative.

JOCELYN:
33:13 Wonderful. I like that you used the word “see” so much in it too, because I think that’s a huge part of what makes visioning this successful—is the physical sight aspect of progression and evolution. Not only as you're working through the training and building your models, changing your models, but internally, what the eyes allow you to see from that physical standpoint and how it can be adapted to your own change.

JOCELYN:
33:36 It's remarkable what experiencing something like—ways that you can progress. I don't know the terminology—like, the way that I'm going to kind of nutshell it is, you have a point A that you're at and a point B that you want to get to. And so by experiencing the workshop, there is touch, there is sight, there is sound, there is conversation happening, and then even manipulation—not from a negative perspective—but of that—all of those senses kind of coming together.

JOCELYN:
34:02 What better way to make impact than for all five of our core senses to experience something all at once? I mean, I don’t know if like licking the LEGOs is part of the...

LYNN:
34:33 Like a dynamic vision board, but we—yeah, we kind of...

JOCELYN:
34:41 There’s so much to it. The amount of touchpoints that there are, are the reason why something like this is so successful. You feel it in so many different ways, and it’s instant. It’s somewhat of an instant gratification, the experience as a whole.

LYNN:
34:56 It can expand beyond that. So you can create a vision, but then you can create even landscapes and kind of show what things would get in the way of you reaching that vision. And then you can build models around that and show connections—there's connector pieces. I mean, you can make it as big as you want. It’s actually really cool.

LYNN:
35:15 And then when you start doing that, people’s minds just—you can see them opening up and expanding. It’s so cool.

JOCELYN:
35:30 Yeah. It's the best part. So now I’m thinking, I’m like, what a cool—like the way you said it, like almost like this—I thought of like the Christmas villages that you have, right? For decorations on your mantle. It's like, can you imagine if like right outside Maria, like where our desks are all set up, across the top of the entryway, there’s like everybody’s models of evolution at TTA?

JOCELYN:
35:51 Like what a cool thing to walk by and be reminded.

LYNN:
35:53 I know. Right? Lynn’s like, “Yeah, I’m here. Sign me up.”

JOCELYN:
35:56 But people always talk about how powerful vision boards are. And this is so many different layers of that. It’s a vision model. Like, “This is our model.”

MARIA MELFA (SPEAKER_03):
36:03 But yeah, 3D.

JOCELYN:
36:04 Exactly. Cool. Very, very cool. Cool stuff. So how do you see LEGO Serious Play evolving in the near future?

LYNN:
36:26 Yeah, that’s a great question. And I guess I look at it from a couple different perspectives. So first—and I think we talked about this a little earlier—emotional intelligence has been continually identified as one of the top job skills for the future. Would you agree with that?

JOCELYN:
36:50 Yes.

LYNN:
36:51 So with that, LEGO Serious Play is such a great tool for building emotional intelligence, as it requires you to build models that tell a story. And storytelling is such a great way to express and understand emotions and to connect with others.

LYNN:
37:08 When you go through LEGO Serious Play, it also provides an opportunity not only to share and express our emotions, but also to listen and understand others—and do it in a way that is much more collaborative. And so it’s an opportunity really to develop those EQ muscles. So that’s one piece of it. I look at it as a skill builder for EQ for the workforce.

LYNN:
37:30 The other part—the question—my head goes to technology, since technology is ever evolving. And with that, I’m sure that there will be opportunities for LEGO Serious Play to evolve with it—through maybe gamification, AR, VR—I mean, who knows?

LYNN:
37:46 I think it could be a really cool aspect. You kind of brought up earlier too about how do I use it in a virtual setting. And I haven’t really gone there yet only because I use other tools for virtual collaboration, but it’s making me think—so thank you for that, Maria—about could we send these LEGO Serious Play kits out to people in different locations, have them build at least individual models and talk about them in a virtual setting.

LYNN:
38:13 I’m not sure, at least at this point, it lends itself to creating shared models. But maybe through those technologies such as VR and AR, we could get there. So I think there’s lots of room for it in the future.

JOCELYN ALLEN (SPEAKER_04):
39:02 Yeah, absolutely. It's amazing. So this was an incredible session, a lot of good information. And Jocelyn has an even more exciting part.

JOCELYN:
39:14 I do. We can't technically call it LEGO Serious Play, but we'll call it TTA 10... Not So Serious Play.

DAVID (SPEAKER_01):
39:26 Are you ready for it? It’s the TTA 10—10 final questions for our guest.

JOCELYN:
39:34 All right, Lynn. You’re no stranger to the TTA 10. You’ve done it with us before. You know how it works. The only thing that’s different is that you’re going to get a little bit of a different outro, as David has stepped up his game since the last time you were here.

JOCELYN:
39:45 No pressure, Daveed. But it’s true. So the goal is 90 seconds or less. I got my questions right here. And then the results of which will be whatever comes from David is dependent on those results. But we know you can do it because you’ve done it once before. So, Lynn, are you ready to play?

LYNN TURNER (SPEAKER_02):
40:10 Ready. Always.

JOCELYN:
40:12 If there ever was one who was ready to play, it's Lynn. So, David, 90 seconds, please.

DAVID:
40:14 90 seconds on the TTA 10 o’clock beginning... now.

JOCELYN:
40:20 What is a book that you wish you could read for the first time again?

LYNN:
40:26 Oh my goodness. There’s so many. Alice in Wonderland.

JOCELYN:
40:31 What is 9 plus 3?
Well...
There was an old lady who lived in a shoe, but there’s a hole in the sole. So where does she move to?

LYNN:
40:46 Tallahassee.

JOCELYN:
40:47 Which animal do you think is the best at describing your personality?

LYNN:
40:53 Penguin.

JOCELYN:
40:54 Knock, knock.
Who’s there?
What’s the coolest thing that you’ve ever built out of LEGOs?

LYNN:
41:02 Oh... I don’t—I don’t know that I could describe it. And usually I’m watching people build, so I don’t know. I had like this flower thing... I don’t know how to explain it.

JOCELYN:
41:14 Succulent centerpiece, I get you. There we go.
If there was nothing holding you back, where is a place that you would pick up and move to today?

LYNN:
41:21 Oh, Fiji, Guam—something like that.

JOCELYN:
41:25 A genie has granted you three wishes. What’s your first one?

LYNN:
41:28 More wishes.

JOCELYN:
41:30 Dogs or cats?

LYNN:
41:32 Dogs.

JOCELYN:
41:33 How many cups of rye mushroom coffee will you commit to drinking a day from here on out?

LYNN:
41:37 Two.

JOCELYN:
41:44 Perfect.

JOCELYN:
41:45 All right, David, there’s our 10. Results, please. Great job, Lynn. You gave us some tough ones.

DAVID:
41:56 After removing the unauthorized promotion for the mushroom coffee, Lynn clocks in at one minute and 28 seconds—just barely, but she made it under the threshold.

JOCELYN:
42:08 Yay, Lynn! Get ready.

DAVID:
42:11 Congratulations. Here it comes. The funniest thing. No pressure, right?

DAVID:
Instead of doing an actual audio salute to Lynn for winning the TTA 10, I’ve constructed this here out of LEGOs. No, I haven’t. But what I do have is testimony from someone who has benefited from LEGO Serious Play. But the first thing you’ll hear is something of a throwback, so listen carefully:

“I’m William J. Hannigan, or as I used to be known, Little Billy Hannigan from that 1973 LEGO ad campaign. Yes, that was little me suggesting we build a safety rail on the Sunnydale Bridge. LEGOs were my life, inspiring me to a career in architecture. The problem was I thought I could learn everything I need to know just by playing with LEGOs. Instead of learning actual properties of engineering, seismic design, and physics, I followed the simple instructions on the side of the LEGO box.”“So when it came time for me to build the actual safety rail on the actual Sunnydale Bridge, a bus full of people plummeted into the water below. Why? Well, the rail was made of brightly colored plastic things instead of something more sensible like metal.”“That’s when I realized I had fallen under the seductive spell of LEGO Silly Play when I should have been studying LEGO Serious Play with an instructor like Lynn Turner. Lynn taught me that I can facilitate through play, inviting me to communicate with my hands. So when I built a narrow tower with a swimming pool on top, it didn’t mean I could actually build my pool in the sky in my own backyard.”“No—but it did allow me to build a model that told a story. And through that, I learned that sometimes you should strive for goals that are attainable. Like, for example, a pool that actually lies at sea level rather than 400 feet in the air.”“Lynn taught me that I could speak through my LEGO models. You don’t even make eye contact with others in the group during these exercises. And this sort of distancing really came in handy when I stepped on a LEGO and loudly uttered a—”“Lynn helped a former executive who had just been fired from his job by a nasty, power-hungry boss. Lynn never lost her focus when the first model he created was a pack of wolves tearing his old boss to shreds in a bloody mess. His next LEGO model depicted the executive himself relaxing in a giant bowl of macaroni and cheese—which was weird—but Lynn knew that she had him headed in the right direction.”“So, long live the LEGO. Kudos to you, Lynn Turner. And as for the victims of the Sunnydale... tragedy—let’s go rebuild that safety rail with the EQ muscles that we honed in LEGO Serious Play. Not with actual LEGOs. Thank you.”

JOCELYN:
45:14 What creativity, David. After a LEGO play, you just put that together?

DAVID:
45:18 Yes I did. He’s the man.

MARIA MELFA (SPEAKER_03):
45:32 I’d love to see what he built. I think so. Imagine him on mushroom coffee.

LYNN:
45:40 Mushroom coffee and LEGOs...

JOCELYN:
45:42 Oh my goodness. That was amazing. What I was going to say earlier—I apologize because I talked at the same time—but it’s so funny when you ask anybody a math question, no matter what, everybody has this expression...

DAVID:
46:01 You don’t want to be the guy that’s out on the first question on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. “Seven?”

JOCELYN:
46:09 We asked “two plus two” the other day and they went “Four, right?” It’s not a trick question.

JOCELYN:
46:13 No, but everybody—I think I would feel the same way too. It’s just like, oh my gosh.

JOCELYN:
46:16 All in good fun. Good under pressure.
Awesome episode, Lynn. What a cool stinking subject. I want to do it now.

MARIA:
46:23 I agree. We have to talk more about it. That could be a great session here.

JOCELYN:
46:26 Yes. So stinking cool. We appreciate everything that you do, my friend. Thank you so much.
For more information on LEGO Serious Play and bringing Lynn into your organization, visit us at thetrainingassociates.com.
We’ll see you later.